1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless data-transferring apparatus that performs wireless communication with information-processing terminals such as personal computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, information-processing technology and the network technology have advanced. Thanks to the technology advance, home networks have been developed to achieve communication between electronic apparatuses, such as household TVs, audio apparatuses, and the like.
Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2001-358966 discloses a TV reception system. In the TV reception system, a TV program received at the station-selecting apparatus is transmitted by radio to a dedicated display unit, which displays the TV program. The TV reception system can be connected to the Internet. The station-selecting apparatus includes a station-selecting unit for receiving the TV program, a wireless communication unit for communicating with the dedicated display unit, and a modem unit being connected to the Internet. A CPU provided in the station-selecting apparatus controls all these units.
However, the station-selecting apparatus cannot be connected to the Internet while a TV program is being transmitted to the display, and a TV program cannot be transmitted to the display while the system remains connected to the Internet. Inevitably, the display displays only a Web page or the TV program at a time.
Recently, broadband communication lines have come into use to connect electronic apparatuses to the Internet. Thus, more and more electronic apparatuses is are kept connected to the Internet by the broadband communication lines. It is therefore demanded that a new system be provided which enables people to browse Web pages on the Internet while enjoying a TV program.
Furthermore, it will soon become important to display TV programs on the display monitors of information-processing terminals such as PDAs and notebook-type personal computers. A system that transmits TV programs by radio signal to the information-processing terminals, and displays TV programs on the display monitors of the terminals, not on the dedicated display unit, is desirable. Most information-processing terminals used today operate on the Windows system. Hence, TV programs must be displayed on the display monitors of these terminals in the same way as application programs, at any position desired and in any size desired.